Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-19
LAW AND LABOR.

1sA" SStNS 1HSS
An Interview with Henry George-what
the Land and Labor Agitator Has TO Say
About the Aims and Prospects OF the
Faction He .Represents-No Alliance
With the OLD Parties.
NEW YORK, May 12-Through the prom
inence given to the ecclesiastical troubles
of DR.. McGlynn and the land and labor
question, which has been kept steadily
before the public for month or two, the
Labor party has not been heard from un.
til a call for a State convention was is
sued the other day. A reporter saw and
talked with Henry George about the plans
Of the party and its condition.:
'Interest in our cause" he said, sis
spreading rapidly. Land and Labor clubs
are forming all over the country. There
are one or two homogeneous elements, but
they don't affect the general complexion
Of the party. The people here have had
a splendid education in the land question
and have grasped it SO thoroughly that
there is no danger that they will be likely
to go back to the older parties. Our ulti-
mate aim is the abolition OF
all taxes except those on land.
We can not hope to accomplish
all, of course, but the first step will
be the taking of all taxes off improve
Out West there has been labor party
formed that put a hodge-podge plank In
Its platform about land, hut our people
have nothing to do with it. We stand
firm for the radical view of the holding OF
land that has been repeatedly expressed
in our documents and declarations OF
principles. 1 think the party in this city
is much stronger now than it was in the
municipal election. Elsewhere 1T certain
lv is, for where there was no party at all
there is now some kind of organization In
nearly every important city. The politi-
clans don't know what to make OF US, ana
even the politicians are Fl yhtfng u.s."
'Do you expect the party to make
presidential nomination in the next cam.
paignF'
81 am sure I don't know really" he
said, 1--WE don't care to hold the execu-
tive offices, but it seems to be necessary
to fight for them in order to bring our
principles into the field"
s'If nomination were made would it
not result in the sure election of Re-
publicani'
'sMay be; we should not care. What
difference does it make who holds the Of
ficesa Are we really any better off be-
cause Mr.. Cleveland was elected, and
would it make the burdens any heavier
if Republican were the Chief Execu-
tivef think not. The important thing
is to get the people to think of the real
issue, and that is the mission of the La
Dor party. There are lots of Democrats
to-day who ought to be Repu blic-
aus, and vice versa. Now the party
lines must be so sharply drawn
that these congruous elements shall unite
under one standard. If the labor party
comes into the field and by it's presence
defeats an organization that otherwise
might count on victory, the tendency will
be to shake up the parties so that the in
congruous elements of each will fall out.
The Republican party was killed in the
last election. 1t will be capital thing
now to kill the Democr attic party. If that
is OF done in the next election, it surely
will be in the next but enc, and then the
mission of the labor party will have been
accomplished. Then genuine issue will be
before the country and the parties must
form on either side of it. That issue
naturally will be the land que stion. Judg
ing from the way the case is growing :
should say that by that time the whole
country would be able to discuss the is
sue intelligently. Meantime, we shall
work hard in our own way. We shall
countenance nothing that looks like an
alliance with the other parties, and to
guard against that it will be necessary
for US to have our own candidates in the
field for every Office subject to popular
election"
ssThe labor parties cry against the cor
ruption of the older organizations. What
does it say to the suggestion that the plac-
ing of so much power in the Government
IS will follow from making the State the
landlord will induce a greater amount Of
corruptiong'
ssThe reply is that it's q mistaken idea
to suppose that the functions of the Go W
eminent will be increased by the adop-
ton Of our plan. On the contrary, they
will be diminished, and our policy calls
not only for no more offices than exist at
present, but no new ones. You see what
we strive against is taxation. There
are several kinds of taxation
now. When we have reduced
them to the one tax on land
values only, what will happeni Why,
the officials already intrusted with the
assessment and collection of taxes will
naturally do the work. The present ma
chinery Of government will m ore than
suffice for the operation of things accord
ing to our plans. We shall simplify gov
ernmental operations a great deal and
thus decrease the tendency to corruption.
Further. fruitful source Of corruption
to-day lies in the valuation Of taxable prop
erty. When only land is taxed there will
not be so great possibility of fraud, be-
cause it is comparatively easy to get at
the value Of land. So far as the labor
party is concerned, it is harmonious. 1t
is an element in politics that has come to
stay, for it IS based not on a desire for
office, but on a conviction. The work of
electing delegates to the State conven
H., FOL, a,oI
expect to have all parts of the Sta tie rep
resented and to have a very large gather